1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the manufacture of highly dense integrated circuits and more particularly to the formation of a silicon oxide isolation region within the integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of highly dense integrated circuits, individual device structures are typically separated and electrically isolated by means of a field oxide isolation region, which is typically produced by the exposure of a silicon wafer to an oxidizing atmosphere while using an oxidation mask to protect regions which are not desired to be oxidized. Various masking layers have been used as this oxidation mask such as of a pad oxide, undoped polycrystalline silicon, silicon nitride and the like are typically deposited on top of the active region to serve as a buffer during thermal oxidation. Subsequently, this protective layer is removed by suitable etching technique.
However, in the traditional Polysilicon Buffer LOCOS (local oxidation) technique, during the etch of the polysilicon, pits can form around the edge of the pad oxide, leading to damage of the silicon substrate.
FIG. 1 shows the prior art. Shown are layer of a pad oxide 5 after the formation of the field oxide layer 7 using an undoped polysilicon layer and silicon nitride layer process. During formation of the field oxide 7, the polysilicon in the vicinity of the field oxide being formed tends to be weakened due to stress. During subsequent removal by etching of these protective layers, "pits" 8 may form in the pad oxide 5, resulting in damage to the silicon substrate as shown in FIG. 1.
Workers in the field are well aware of this pitting problem. A solution to the "pits" problem has been patented by L. B. Fritzinger et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,898. The novel solution consisted of adding a protective oxide layer between the polysilicon buffer and silicon nitride layers. Removal of the silicon nitride by wet etching did not affect the polysilicon layer due to the protection afforded by the protective oxide. The protective oxide and polysilicon layers could then be removed without damage to the substrate.